Woodland Scene

(181)
1929–35
Provincetown, MA
Oil on canvas
71 3/8 x 68 1/2 in. (181.3 x 174 cm)
Inscriptions unknown [FD said possibly signed bottom left}
Photo: Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art

Notes

Notes: Painted in Provincetown, MA at 268 Bradford St., and Buffalo, NY, in EHS studio. Begun in Provincetown May 4, 1929 and finished in Buffalo February 27, 1935. The canvas was stretched before he left Provincetown In fall of 1928, to EHS, December 6, 1928. Whilte working on Composition with Still Life he wrote that this one "will not be abandoned because of age as was the Woodland Scene." To EHS, ca. 1933 or 7. Photographs of the piece with ED, Howard and EHD were taken in the studio December 5, 1932. This was Burgess' birthday.

1929: May 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 27, 28, 29, 30, June 3, 4, 8 (got 63-72 frame), 9, 13, 14, 15, 16, 20, 21, 27, 28, 29, July 8 "posing Pat", 9, (Pat), 10, 11, 22 (Pat), 23 (Pat), 25 (Pat), 31 (glen), August 1 (glen), 18 (glen), 19 (glen), September 4, (glen), 5 (glen), 18 ("am. work on 63-72"), 19, 20 "am. 2" Figure in 63-72. pm painted Pat", 21 (Pat), 22 (Pat), 24 (Pat), 25 (Pat), 26 (Pat), 29 (Pat), 30 (Pat), October 1 (Pat), 2 (Pat), 50 sittings, October 7 (Pat), 8 (Pat), 9 (Pat), 10 (Pat), 12 (Pat), 15 (Pat), 16 (Pat), 18 (Pat), 19 (Pat), 20 (Pat), 22 (Pat), 23 (Pat), "planning work", 24 "Plan for 63-72", 26 "Planning work", 29 (Pat), 30 (Pat), November 9 (Pat), 10 (Pat), 11 (Pat), 12 (Pat), 13 (Pat), 14 (background).

1930, February 10, he & Henry Hensche stretched the 63-72, 11 (Pat), 12 (Pat), 13 (Pat), 14 (Pat), 15 (Pat), 16 (Pat), 17 (Pat), 18 ("Glen"), 18 "draperies came from Buffalo", 20, 22 ("Glen"), 26 "arranging drapery", March 4 (drapery), 5 (drapery), 6 (drapery), 8 (drapery), 9 (drapery), 10 (drapery), 11 (drapery), 12 (drapery), 13 (drapery), 14 (drapery), 19 (drapery), 20 (drapery), 21 (drapery), 22 (drapery), 28 (drapery), 29 (drapery), 31 (drapery), April 2 (drapery), 8 (drapery), 11 (drapery), 12 (drapery), 14 (drapery), 15 (fini drapery, 100 sittings), 18 (Pat posing again, arranging work), 19 (Pat), 21 (Pat), 22 (Pat), 23(Pat), 14 (Pat), 25 (Pat), 26 (Pat), 28 (Pat), 29 (Pat), 30 (Pat), May 5 (Pat), 6 (Pat), 7 (Pat), 26 (drapery), 27 (drapery), 28 (drapery), 29 (drapery), June 10 (began trees), 12 (trees), 13 (trees), 14 (trees), 17, 18 (trees), 19 (trees), 20 (trees), July 10 (arranging drapery), 11 (arranging drapery), 12 (drapery), 13 (drapery), 14 (drapery), 15 (drapery), 21 (showed Tibi the canvas, 63/72), September 13 (drapery), 14 (drapery), 15 (drapery), 16 (drapery), 17 (drapery), 18 (drapery), 23 (looked at work), 24 (looked at work), October 10 (Pat), 11 (Pat), 15 (Pat), 16 (Pat), 17 (Pat), 18 (Pat), 19 (Pat), 20 (Pat), 21 (Pat), 24 (painted goose), (150 sittings), 25 (goose), 26, 27 (goose), 28 (goose), 29 (looking at work), November 2 (foreground), 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 (goose), 9 (goose), 11, 12, 19 (arranging work), 20, 22, 23, 24, December 1. 1931 October 6, 9 (arranging still life), 12 (arranging 6 x 7), 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 27, 28, November 16 (painted Elsa), 17, December 19 (posing Elsa), 21, 22, 23, [180 sittings], 24, 28 (Elsa), 30, 31 (Elsa).

1930: May 5 beginning second year on 63/72. June 10 began trees.

1932: January 4, 5 (Elsa), 6 (Elsa), 8 (Elsa), 9 (Elsa), 11 (Elsa), 12 (Elsa) 13, 14 (Elsa), 15 (arranging large figure), 16, 18, 19, 20, 22, 23, 27 (200 sittings), 29, 31, February 1, 3, 4, 5, 18 (varnished drapery, Elsa), 26 (began Janice), 27, 28 (Janice), 29 (Janice), March 2 (Janice), 3 (Janice & paid), 11 (Pat saw drapery of Elsa), 28 (began second figure of Elsa), 29 (Elsa), 30 (Elsa), 31 (Elsa), April 1 (Elsa), 2 (Elsa), 4 (Elsa), 6 (drapery), 7 (Elsa), 9 (Elsa), 10 (showed Father 6 x 7), 11, (Elsa), May 12, 13 (trees), 14 (trees), 28 (got still life), July 2 (still life), 3 (still life), 5, 6 (bricks), 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20 (plow), 22, 23, 24 (plow), 25 (plow), 26 (plow), 30, 31, August 1, 2 (Elsa), 3 (Elsa), 4, 5, 6 (arranged drapery top), 8 (top drapery), 10 (drapery), 11, 12, 13, 14.

December 5, 1932, photographs taken with Howard & EHD etc. in the studio (journal). Figures posed, L - R, Elsa Hartman, Mrs. Marks, Pat Dickinson.

1935: January 20, accepted Esther's proposition on the 71 x 68, 21 planning the 71 x 68 (the old 63 x 72 and 84 x 72), 22, ordered stretcher, 23 preparations for 71 x 68, 24 ED & Pat stretched the 71 x 68, 25, 26, 27, 29, 30, 31, February 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18,19, 20, 24, 27 (32 sittings), AM "fini" 71 x 68. April 29, ED varnished it at the Albright where it hung with The Fossil Hunters.

To EHS, May 13, 1929, "The new one, 63 x 72 I stretched before went away last fall. One figure so far, probably two." To EHS November 6, 1929, "Large canvas now doing superior to all previous . . . " To EHS, February 11, 1930, "The drapery you gave me is exactly what I now need . . . " To EHS, March 21, 1930, "the fine box with the splendid draperies & wools - all usefull to a high degree. These curtains fill a long felt need - " To EHS, January 10, 1932, "I am 200 sittings down on the 6 x 7, on the 3rd figure and find increased scope."

To EHS/AWS, April 13, 1932, "Have put the winter largely on the new 6 x 7 on which I have been a long time (230 sittings), has now 4 figures . . . Began this canvas in 1929 as a 63 x 72 (5 1/4 x 6) and had 2 strips sewed on last year bringing it up to 6 x 7 ft." To EHS, December 15, 1933, "The improvement in physical & mental condition since I decided to put aside the old 'time-top-heavy' 71/84 & begun new work [Composition with Still Life] on which to express more advanced views is marked."

Note at beginning of 1949 journal: began as a 63 x 72, changed to 84 x 72, changed to 71 x 68, 299 sittings, ( "light from R & L both Pat's figure in it plow etc. Mrs. Marks, Elsa (journal). Piece arrived from Provincetown in Buffalo 15 October 1934. See journal 27 February 1935. 21 January says planning the 21 x 68 "(the old 63 x 72 & 84 x 72)" 20 January says accepted Esthers proposition on 17 x 68. 28 February, journal "completed somehow old compostion." March 14, (journal) Woodland Scene refused at Washington. 28 April journal, to gallery with A & E Fossil Hunters and Woodland Scene hung [in Buffalo]. 29 April journal "varnished Woodland Scene." The Andrew Dickson White Museum of Art has been renamed the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art.

ED description of Woodland Scene: to Hilda Hoyt Potter. February 13, 1952."In the foreground, sits an old woman (she looks like a bearded old man) with a black shawl on her head. Near her, to the left, is a plow and some bricks. A figure behind her, to the left, is lying down 'head-on' and is wearing a purple low-neck tafetta dress. To the right, part of a nude torso is visible. Twigs, a little bonfire, tree trunks, clouds, and part of a wheel complete the picture. (Some ensemble !)" [Courtesy Roderick Potter, Jr.].

ED note, "The rose is a lillac [sic] colored one." letter to FD, June 20, 1960, he said "Woodland Scen(ic) Railway) would be as good a name." This painting was twice changed in size. It began as a 63 x 27, enlarged to 72 x 84, cut down to present 68 x 71. The draperies on Mrs. Marks were lent by EHS (FD).

COH, 73:"You asked about the use of color in 'Woodland Scene.' The canvas is in full color as far as I am concerned. Not as varied and clear, bright, nameable in color as I would like to be able to do well with, but all of appear to be greys are done with the complete, full palette, and there's no more uniformity among them than there is amongst the primary colors --red, blue and yellow. They're different in that they 're adjusted very carefully." ED note, journal,May 4, 1961: referring to Woodland Scene, "light [comes] from R & L both"

Provenance

Mr. & Mrs. Ansley W. Sawyer
Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, Cornell University

Exhibition History

1938 Passedoit Gallery: Paintings by Edwin W. Dickinson
1952 MoMA: 15 Americans
1959 Boston University Art Gallery: Edwin Dickinson, Retrospective Exhibition
1961 James Graham & Sons: Edwin Dickinson, Retrospective
1965 Whitney: Edwin Dickinson. Major retrospective
1968–69 Venice Biennial: The Figurative Tradition in Recent American Art: Edwin Dickinson
1977–78 Burchfield Center, Buffalo: Tribute Exhibition: Edwin Dickinson
1986 Hirschl & Adler Galleries: Master Drawings from The Drawing Society's Membership
1987 Albright-Knox: The Wayward Muse: A Historical Survey of Painting in Buffalo